Toby Keith: Inauguration performance made me 'stronger'

Toby Keith is still defending his decision to perform at an inauguration event for President Donald Trump.

The singer, who headlined the pre-inauguration concert Make America Great Again! Welcome Celebration on Jan. 19 received plenty of criticism for his decision. However, the backlash only made him stronger.

"In the end, it just makes you stronger," Keith said at the 2017 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, according to The Boot. "If you don't succumb to that kind of pressure, you’ll always come out stronger: Your fans will love you more, your friends will love you more, and at the end of the day, you just get another notch on your gun belt."

Keith also revealed at the event earlier this month that there were many performers who backed out of any inauguration events "due to pressure."

"There’s no reason not to do it," the "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" singer said. "I know a bunch of people were committed. I know a bunch of people — I’m not naming names — but there’s a bunch of people that I didn’t think would have considered it who were committed, and they backed out due to pressure."

Keith, who did not support any candidate in the 2016 presidential election, said at the time he does not "apologize for performing for our country or military."